Large format erasable writable surfaces

ABSTRACT

An erasable writable material for large format applications is disclosed, and includes a cast polyvinylchloride film with a mount surface opposite an etched receiver surface. Also incorporated is a transparent polyester film that has a marking side with a hardness exceeding approximately shore D 79 and an opposite seal side, hermetically laminated to the receiver surface. The marking side includes a clear superstrate that has a hardness exceeding approximately shore D 90, which is applied to the marking side of the polyester film to lower surface energy below about 24 millinewtons per meter. The receiver surface is treated to have a surface energy exceeding about 45 millinewtons per meter, to enable improved adherence of printed and preformed graphic elements, which are encapsulated when laminated between the PET film and receiver surface. The superstrate includes a perfluoropolyether, a polyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and/or an acrylate resin to harden the material.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to improved erasable writable materialsconfigured to enable embedding of graphics, and methods of manufacture,which enable longer life-span, and improved resilience and appearance ofsuch materials in applications that utilize permanent and non-permanentink and related substances to mark the material.

BACKGROUND

Manufacturers of various types of plastic materials and films havedeveloped many types of “dry erase”, erasable, writable, andanti-graffiti surfaces and substances for a variety of applications. Oneapplication includes what are sometimes referred to as “dry-erasewhite-boards,” which utilize certain materials that are compatible foruse with dry erase marking devices and which may be written upon anderased without additional chemicals such as cleaning liquids.

Despite many years of development and technology maturation, many suchmaterials and films and applications thereof remain susceptible tostaining and ghosting when used with permanent and non-permanent markingsubstances. This has been especially pronounced when such markingsubstances remain in contact with the plastic materials and films forperiods of time that extend beyond a day, a week, and longer time spans.

SUMMARY

Some attempts have been made to improve performance of such materialsand films for specific applications, but many opportunities forimprovement persist. The disclosure is directed to an improved erasablewritable material that prevents staining and ghosting in new ways, andwhich is suitable for use in large format applications including, forpurposes of example but not for purposes of limitation, new erasablewritable materials and films for mounting typically on a wall, but alsoin some configurations also on a floor, and/or a ceiling, and similartypes of surfaces.

The contemplated erasable writable material is configured to beflexible, and includes a cast, flexible vinyl and/or polyvinylchloridesheet and/or film substrate or carrier, which may be opaque,translucent, and/or transparent in whole and/or in part, and which isformed with a mount surface and an etched receiver surface on anopposite side of the substrate or carrier. The mount surface isconfigured with an adhesive and/or to receive an adhesive, and to enablemounting to such large format surfaces, such as fixed and movable walls,floors, panels, doors, ceilings, and can also include movable and mobilelarge format surfaces and others such as billboards, movable roomdividers and the like. The receiver surface is configured, treated,and/or adjusted to be etched or micro-etched and to increase a surfaceenergy thereof to exceed about 38 to about 45 millinewtons per meter(mN/m), which improves the surface receptivity and capability toreceive, mount, adhere, and/or carry printable, printed, and preformedgraphic elements, such as visual media such as images and/or designs.

In other adaptations, the mount surface adhesive incorporates and/or mayincorporate a plurality of air channels that are formed by at least oneof striations and/or channels formed integral with or on the mountsurface and/or a plurality of frangible hollow pockets, spheres,nodules, and/or other similarly capable elements dispersed throughoutthe mount surface adhesive, such that the air channels collapse when themount surface is applied to a large format surface, such as a wall,ceiling, floor, and the like. The collapse of the air channels is and/ormay be enabled by the application of pressure and/or heat that causesone or more of the adhesive to fill the channels and/or striations andthe hollow spheres or elements to be broken during one or more of thepressure and/or heat application and/or activation.

The erasable writable material also includes and/or may include arelease liner that is affixed to the mount surface adhesive andoverlying any air channels, and is configured to be releasabletherefrom. The releasability is enabled with the liner that is coatedwith a polyethylene and which is also siliconized to reduce surfaceenergy to approximately between 24 and 33 millinewtons per meter. Thisarrangement enables both adherence of the release liner to the mountsurface adhesive, and removal of the release liner without causingdegradation to the mount surface adhesive and/or air channels.

A transparent, flexible polyester sheet and/or film is also included,which for example may be formed from a polyethylene terephthalate (PET)film, and which is joined to the substrate or carrier. This polyesterfilm includes a marking side and an opposite seal side. The marking sideis configured to have a durometer hardness exceeding approximately 79 onthe Shore D scale, which hardness may be incorporated about the entirethickness of the polyester film and/or primarily about the marking sidesurface. The seal side includes and/or may include an adhesive and isand/or may treated, adjusted, and/or configured to have a surface energythat exceeds approximately or about 45 millinewtons per meter (mN/m).

The disclosure is directed to other variations of the polyester filmincluding the adhesive applied to the seal side to also be at least oneof heat and pressure activated, which enables lamination and joining tothe receiver surface utilizing one or more of a predetermined heat,pressure, and rolling lamination speed, such that the graphic elementsare hermetically sealed against the receiver surface. In otherarrangements, the mount surface further incorporates at least one of apressure and/or heat activated adhesive, such that the erasable writablematerial is repositionable during installation onto, upon, and/oragainst a large format surface, until the adhesive is at least one ofcured, dried, pressure, and/or heat activated.

The polyester sheet and/or film is hermetically laminated and joined tothe receiver surface of the substrate or carrier cast polyvinyl film.The receiver surface of the carrier or substrate is configured,adjusted, and/or treated to have a surface energy exceeding about 45mN/m, which enables improved adherence and retention of the graphicelements, which elements are encapsulated when laminated between theseal side of the polyester film and the receiver surface of thesubstrate or carrier vinyl or polyvinyl film.

The marking side of the polyester film further includes, incorporates,formed with or by, is coated with, and/or is joined to a clearsuperstrate, which is treated, selected, and/or configured to have ahardness that approximately exceeds a durometer of 80 on the Shore Dscale, or higher such as 88, 90, and/or 95. The superstrate is appliedto the marking side of the polyester and/or PET film, and when soapplied lowers a surface energy of the marking side to be approximatelybetween 15 and 30 mN/m, and/or below about 24 mN/m.

In additional modifications to the erasable writable material of thedisclosure, the polyester film, such as the PET film, is configured tohave a thickness of approximately 50 micromillimeters or microns, whichin addition to the chemistry and formulation of the film enables thehardness to exceed a durometer measured hardness of 79 on the Shore Ddurometer scale.

The superstrate includes at least one of and/or one or more of aperfluoropolyether, a polyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and/or anacrylate resin that is hardenable and/or may be hardened, as well as aphotoinitiator that is responsive to ultraviolet radiation to enablecuring and hardening of the superstrate after application to,incorporation with, coating of, and/or joining of the superstrate to themarking side of the polyester film. The superstrate incorporates suchmaterials to enable further hardening of the marking side, and isconfigured, treated, adjusted, and/or modified to have a durometerhardness exceeding approximately 80 to 95 on the Shore D scale.

In further variations of the disclosure, the superstrate is applied,configured, adjusted, and/or modified to have a thickness, when applied,adhered, and/or joined to the marking side of the polyester film, ofapproximately between 2 and 5 microns, which in combination with theselection, adjustment, configuration, and/or formulation of thesuperstrate material(s), enables the desired durometer hardness of themarking side of about shore D 88, 90, and/or 95

The disclosure also contemplates the superstrate configured, selected,adjusted, modified, and/or formulated, when joined to the polyesterfilm, to have a maximum optical light transmission and minimum opticalhaze, and more particularly for purposes of example without limitation,to have a visible light transmission of greater than about 90% of thevisible light that is incident upon the superstrate. Additionally, forfurther purposes of example without limitation, the superstrate is alsoadapted, adjusted, configured, and/or formulated to have a haze, or wideangle light scattering or diffusive effect that does not exceed about0.6%, as determined by various standard test methods described elsewhereherein.

Methods of manufacturing the erasable writable material are alsocontemplated, and include, for example, providing a cast and/orcalendared vinyl and/or polyvinylchloride film with a mount surfaceopposite an etched receiver surface, and laminating to the receiversurface, a seal side of a transparent polyethylene terephthalate filmthat includes an opposite marking side that has a hardness exceedingapproximately shore D 79. Additionally, treating, formulating,configuring, adjusting, and/or modifying the marking side is alsoincluded, such that a hardness exceeding approximately shore D 90 isenabled, and a surface energy of the marking side is lowered below about24 millinewtons per meter by applying a clear superstrate.

Further variations of the methods incorporate configuring thepolyethylene terephthalate film to have a thickness of approximately 50microns that combined with the formulation enables the hardnessexceeding about shore D 79, and configuring the superstrate to have athickness of approximately between 2 and 5 microns to enable theapproximately greater than shore D 80 hardness, and such that markingside surface energy is reduced, adjusted, configured, and/or lowered toapproximately between 15 and 30 millinewtons per meter to increasefugitivity of and prevent ghosting and staining by applied non-permanentand permanent marking substances.

In other arrangements of the methods, configuring the superstrateincludes incorporating an ultraviolet radiation responsivephotoinitiator, and at least one of a perfluoropolyether, apolyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and an acrylate resin, andirradiating the photoinitiator with ultraviolet radiation to harden thesuperstrate. Further contemplated by the methods is treating thepolyvinylchloride film configured to have a receiver surface energyincreased to exceed approximately 38 millinewtons per meter to increaseadherence of one or more of printed and preformed graphic elements. Atleast one of printing and positioning the graphic elements is alsoincluded, to be hermetically sealed between the receiver surface of thepolyvinylchloride film and the seal side of the polyethyleneterephthalate film.

The methods of the disclosure also incorporate applying an adhesive tothe seal side of the polyethylene terephthalate film to enable hermeticlamination to the receiver surface utilizing one or more of apredetermined heat, pressure, and rolling lamination speed. Thisvariation may further include forming the superstrate to include anultraviolet radiation responsive photoinitiator, and one or more of apolyurethane, acrylated polyurethane, acrylate resin, andperfluoropolyether, which enables the hardness and reduced surfaceenergy when irradiated with the ultraviolet radiation.

This summary of the implementations and configurations of the materialsand described elements, components, and constituents introduces aselection of exemplary implementations, configurations, andarrangements, in a simplified and less technically detailed arrangement,and such are further described in more detail below in the detaileddescription in connection with the accompanying illustrations anddrawings, and the claims that follow.

This summary is not intended to identify key features or essentialfeatures of the claimed technology, and it is not intended to be used asan aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Thefeatures, functions, capabilities, and advantages discussed here may beachieved independently in various example implementations or may becombined in yet other example implementations, as further describedelsewhere herein, and which may also be understood by those skilled andknowledgeable in the relevant fields of technology, with reference tothe following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of example implementations of the presentdisclosure may be derived by referring to the detailed description andclaims when considered with the following figures, wherein likereference numbers refer to similar or identical elements throughout thefigures. The figures and annotations thereon are provided to facilitateunderstanding of the disclosure without limiting the breadth, scope,scale, or applicability of the disclosure. The drawings are notnecessarily made to scale.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an erasable writable material itsconstituents, elements, components, and arrangements; and

FIG. 2 illustrates certain aspects of the disclosure depicted in FIG. 1,with components removed and rearranged for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 3 depicts the erasable writable material mounted about arepresentative surface; and

FIG. 4 describes aspects of the disclosure directed to fabrication ofthe erasable writeable material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in variousand alternative forms. As noted elsewhere, the figures are notnecessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimizedto show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structuraland functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted aslimiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilledin the art to variously employ the present invention.

As those of ordinary skill in the art should understand, variousfeatures, components, and processes illustrated and described withreference to any one of the figures may be combined with features,components, and processes illustrated in one or more other figures toenable embodiments that should be apparent to those skilled in the art,but which may not be explicitly illustrated or described. Thecombinations of features illustrated are representative embodiments fortypical applications. Various combinations and modifications of thefeatures consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however,could be desired for particular applications or implementations, andshould be readily within the knowledge, skill, and ability of thoseworking in the relevant fields of technology.

With reference now to the various figures and illustrations and to FIGS.1 and 2, and specifically to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of anunassembled arrangement of the materials and constituents of thedisclosure is depicted. An erasable writable material is denoted withreference numeral 100 and is shown unassembled in a schematicallyillustrated, exploded arrangement 105, which enables an exemplaryillustration of the constituent materials and elements of erasablewritable material 100.

FIG. 2 reflects an assembled arrangement 110 of the erasable writablematerial 100, while FIG. 3 represents an example of the fabricatederasable writable material 100 in a particular arrangement andapplication shown as reference numeral and bracket 115, as material 100is applied, installed, mounted, and/or attached to a large formatsurface SURF, which may be for purposes of illustration but notlimitation, fixed or moveable or mobile walls, room and space dividers,panels, doors, ceilings, floors, billboards, large panel and cargo truckside walls, and similar surfaces. For purposes of further illustration,the phrase large format as used in this disclosure refers to both largeformat printing and printed material 100 that exceeds about 24 inches byabout 36 inches, or more, such material 100 is fabricated to entirelycover large surfaces as described above and elsewhere herein.

With continuing reference to FIG. 1, erasable writable material is aflexible sheet or film, and for further example without limitation,includes and/or may include a cast or calendared, flexible vinyl,polyvinyl, and/or polyvinylchloride (PVC) sheet and/or film substrate orcarrier 120. For applications requiring increased durability and atsometimes increased cost, a cast polyvinyl may be utilized, while acalendared polyvinyl may be utilized for applications requiring lowercosts and decreased lifespan and durability.

However, recent technological advances in cast and calendared polyvinylmaterials have blurred the distinctions between cost and durability toestablish substantial improvements in performance and reductions in costfor both methods of manufacturing. The sheet or film carrier orsubstrate 120 is or may be entirely and/or partially opaque,translucent, and/or transparent as may be desired for particularapplications. The vinyl or PVC film or sheet is formed to besubstantially planar and includes a mount surface 125 and an opposite,etched receiver surface 130 on the other side of the film or sheetsubstrate or carrier 120.

Mount surface 125 incorporates, includes, is coated with, and/or isconfigured with a mount surface adhesive 135 and/or to receive or becoated with adhesive 135, which enables adhering, mounting, attachment,and/or application to large format surfaces SURF. Such large formatsurfaces as contemplated by the disclosure are typically substantiallylarger than about poster sizes of about 24 inches by about 36 inches,such as for example without limitation, an entire interior or exteriorwall of a structure or building or vehicle or billboard, and similarlyvery large surfaces. In some configurations of material 100, mountsurface 125 may not include adhesive 135, and may instead be mounted toSURF utilizing another type of adhesive that is applied to either mountsurface 125 and/or SURF during installation of material 100.

When incorporated on mount surface 125, the mount surface adhesive 135may be further configured as at least one of a pressure and/or heatactivated adhesive 135, which may be formulated, modified, and/orconfigured to be partially tacky and releasable, to enablerepositioning, alignment, and rearrangement during application andinstallation of erasable writable material 100, and until mount surfaceadhesive 135 is at least one of pressure and/or heat activated. A numberof suppliers offer various polyvinyl film and sheet materials that canbe modified according to the disclosure, and include for example the 3MCorporation, Maplewood, Minn., USA (www.3m.com), Dupont Corporation,Wilmington, Del., USA (www.dupont.com), among others.

In further variations, repositioning capabilities may be additionallyenabled on mount surface 125 and/or with adhesive 135, which may alsoinclude, incorporate, and/or be configured with a plurality of airchannels 140, which are or may be formed by at least one of patterns ofstriations, grooves, furrows, keyways, and/or recesses 145 that mayenable passage of air therethrough and that may be in some adaptationsbe substantially parallel along a selected direction of mount surface125 and/or adhesive 135, and which channels 140 are formed integral withor on mount surface 125 and/or adhesive 135.

In further modifications, air channels 140 and/or mount surface adhesive135 further includes a plurality of frangible hollow pockets, spheres,nodules, and/or other similarly capable elements 150 spread or dispersedabout mount surface 125 and/or throughout mount surface adhesive 135.Such elements 150 may be sized to function as temporary supports betweenmount surface 125, adhesive 135, and/or large format surface SURF duringand enabling improved and easier installation, repositioning, alignment,and/or rearrangement. In any of such configurations, air channels 140remain intact during installation, repositioning, and alignment uponsurface SURF, and thereafter collapse when mount surface 125 is appliedto large format surface SURF by application of heat and/or pressure andactivation of mount surface adhesive 135.

Collapse of and/or filling of air channels 140 is and/or may be enabledby the application of pressure and/or heat to sheet or film carrier orsubstrate 120, which is sufficient to cause one or more of mount surfaceadhesive 135 to fill channels and/or striations 145, and/or hollowelements 150 to be broken in response to one or more of the applicationof pressure and/or heat and/or activation of adhesive 135. Such collapseof air channels 140 may be apparent to those having skill in therelevant technology with reference specifically to FIG. 3, whichschematic depicts erasable writable material 100 installed againstsurface SURF, and having only mount surface adhesive 135 shown, sinceair channels 140 are represented here as having been collapsed, ascompared to channels 140 being visible in FIG. 2 in the illustration ofthe assembled but uninstalled erasable writable material 100.

The disclosure further contemplates receiver surface 130 beingconfigured, treated, and/or adjusted to be etched and/or micro-etched toincrease surface area and to increase a surface energy thereof to exceedabout 38 to about 45 millinewtons per meter (mN/m). The increasedsurface area and surface energy in turn increases and improves thereceptivity and capability of receiver surface 130 to receive, mount,adhere, and/or carry graphic elements 155 that can be printable and/orprinted on receiver surface 130, as well as preformed graphic elements160, either and/or both of which can include for purposes of examplewithout limitation visual media such as images and/or designs and manyother elements.

Such printable and/or printed graphic elements 155 as well as preformedgraphic elements 160, for further examples, may be and/or include largeformat images, photographs, designs, logos, trademarks, symbols, andwritten words, among other types of elements 155. The preformed graphicelements 160 may also further include and/or incorporate cut symbols,designs, lettering, and the like that can be adhered to etched receiversurface 130. For purposes of printed and printable graphic elements 155,it has been observed that an optimum surface energy of receiver surface130 should exceed by about 10 mN/m, the surface energy of the print ink,toner, or other print media.

As contemplated here, surface energy may be established and measuredaccording to a number of possible standards and procedures, which forexample may include ASTM D6105-04 (2012), entitled “Standard Practicefor Application of Electrical Discharge Surface Treatment (Activation)of Plastics for Adhesive Bonding,” among other industry acceptedpractices. Many suppliers are available that offer such surfaceenergy/tension measurement technology and include dyne pens and wettingsolutions available from, for further example, TanTec A/S of Denmark andGermany (tantec.com), and Dyne Technology Ltd. of Staffordshire, UnitedKingdom (www.dynetechnology.co.uk), among others.

Here, for additional illustration purposes but not limitation, variousinks such as water and solvent soluble inks, gel inks, latex inks,and/or ultraviolet or UV curable inks are contemplated, such thatreceived surface 130 should be configured to have a surface energyexceeding about 38 mN/m. In further examples where preformed graphicelements 160 are to be adhered to receiver surface 130, it has beenobserved that good results are also obtained at energies exceeding about38 mN/m, but that further improved adhesion of preformed graphicelements 160 is obtained when surface energy of receiver surface 130 isincreased to approximately exceed about 45 mN/m. Various types of suchUV curable inks are available from various printer and ink suppliers,and include for example, Roland DGA Corporation, Irvine, Calif., USA(www.rolanddga.com), among others.

The disclosure contemplates a number of such surface energy adjustmentand modification treatments that can configure, adjust, and/or modifysurface energy of receiver surface 130, which include for furtherexample, chemical primer, mechanical abrasion, high-frequency electricalcorona discharge, flame plasma, atmospheric plasma, and/or ultravioletradiation ozone treatment. For purposes of further example withoutlimitation, receiver surface 130 was treated with a flame plasmatreatment method after cast manufacturing, which enabled satisfactorymicro-etching to increase surface area, and also increased surfaceenergy of receiver surface 130, which approximately and substantiallyexceeded 45 mN/m and which dwelled for a long enough time aftertreatment and modification to enable subsequent shipping, storage, andeventual fabrication of the assembled erasable writable material 100, toinclude printed graphic elements 155 and preformed graphic elements 160.

Various types of flame plasma equipment is available that enable themodification, adjustment, configuration, and treatments describedherein. Such equipment, material, and substances are also available forchemical priming, ozone, electrical discharge corona, and relatedtreatments. Such flame plasma and other equipment is available from, forpurposes of example without limitation, Enercon Industries Corporation,Menomonee Falls, Wis., USA (www.enerconind.com), and Plasma TechnologySystems, Elgin, Ill., USA (www.plasmatechsystems.com), among manyothers.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, erasable writablematerial 100 also includes and/or may include a visually transparent andflexible polyester sheet and/or film 165, which is joined to thepolyvinyl sheet or film carrier or substrate 120 as described elsewhereherein. A number of polyesters are known to those knowledgeable in thetechnology and may include for exemplary illustration purposes, apolyethylene terephthalate (PET) film or sheet material. Among others,both the 3M Corporation and Dupont Corporation offer a number ofpolyester and PET sheet and film materials that can be modifiedaccording to the disclosure to enable the capabilities described hereinof erasable writable material 100.

The polyester sheet and/or film 165 is formed with and includes amarking side 170 and an opposite seal side 175. Marking side 170 isconfigured and/or modified to have a hardness that enables durabilityduring use after installation of erasable writable material 100. Morespecifically, marking side 170, and/or the sheet/film 165, isconfigured, adjusted, and/or modified to have a durometer hardness thatapproximately exceeds 79 on the Shore D durometer hardness scale. Manytypes of durometer test equipment are available from a variety ofsupplies, and include for example, Hoto-Instruments of Northbrook, Ill.,USA (hoto-instruments.com). Various industry standards are available forestablishing durometer hardnesses, and include for example and amongothers, ASTM D785-08 (2015), entitled “Standard Test Method for RockwellHardness of Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials,” and ASTMD2240-15, entitled “Standard Test Method for Rubber Property-DurometerHardness.”

As some skilled in the relevant fields of technology may understand, thehardness of a material may be heterogenous and/or homogenous throughoutthe volume of the material, and/or is or may be isolated to certainregions, surfaces, and/or portions according to manufacturing methods aswell as according to design intentions. For example, for purposes of thedisclosure, the polyester material may be configured with, incorporate,modified, and/or adjusted to have varying hardness(es) that are and/ormay be incorporated about the entire thickness of the polyester sheet orfilm, and/or primarily about one or both surfaces, such as about markingside 170.

In further examples, the hardness homogeneity of the polyester sheet orfilm 165 as well as marking side 170 is manufactured, treated,configured, and/or modified to incorporate the hardness approximatelyexceeding shore D 79, by adjusting a raw material formulation andfabrication method generally known to those skilled in the technology.In additional modifications, polyester sheet or film 165, such as thepolyester and/or PET film 165, is manufactured or configured to have athickness of approximately 50 micromillimeters or microns, which inaddition to the chemistry and formulation of sheet/film 165, enables thedurometer measured hardness to approximately exceed 80 on the Shore Ddurometer scale, and in other variations and modifications as describedelsewhere herein, to approximately exceed Shore D 88, 90, and/or 95hardnesses.

Seal side 175 is and/or may treated, adjusted, and/or configured to havea surface energy that exceeds approximately or about 45 millinewtons permeter (mN/m), by utilizing any of the methods described elsewhereincluding for example without limitation flame plasma treatment methods.Further, seal 175 in other variations of polyester film 165 includes aseal side adhesive 180 that is applied, and which may also be at leastone of heat and pressure activated. A release liner similar to thatshown elsewhere herein may also be used to protect seal side adhesive180 prior to assembly and fabrication of erasable writable material 100.

Seal side adhesive 180 enables lamination and joining to receiversurface 130, utilizing one or more of a predetermined heat, pressure,and rolling lamination speed, such that graphic elements 155, 160 areencapsulated and/or hermetically sealed between seal side 175 andagainst receiver surface 130 during fabrication of erasable writablematerial 100. Lamination and/or joining and encapsulating of graphicelements 155, 160 is accomplished utilizing the predetermined heat,pressure, and rolling lamination speed utilizing one or more readilyavailable and partially or wholly automated devices, such as, forpurposes of example without constraints, a Kala™ Mistral 1650 or 2100laminating machine, available from Kala Finishing Systems, Nouvoitou,France (kala.fr), among others.

The erasable writable material 100 is also further directed to markingside 170 of polyester sheet or film including, incorporating, beingmodified or formed with or by, being coated with, and/or being joined toa clear superstrate 185. Superstrate 185 is formulated, treated,selected, and/or configured to additionally augment and/or increase thehardness of marking side 170, such that marking side 170 subsequentlyhas a durometer hardness that approximately exceeds a durometer of 80 onthe Shore D durometer scale, or higher, and that in additionalvariations approximately exceeds 88, 90, and/or 95 on the Shore D scale.

Superstrate 185 is typically applied to marking side 170 of polyestersheet/film 165, and is chemically formulated and/or selected to lowerthe surface energy of marking side 170 from an average, typicalpost-manufacture surface energy of about between 40 and 45 MN/m, to bebetween 15 and 30 mN/m, and/or below about 24 mN/m. The intentionallydecreased surface energy in combination with the increased hardness,enables improved resilience against harsh cleaning agents. The higherhardness and lowered surface energy of the combined marking side 170 andsuperstrate 185, also has demonstrated improved resistance againstmarking substances, such as permanent and non-permanent erasable markingsubstances, which may be applied to marking side 170. Consequently, thecombined hardness and surface energy of superstrate 185 and marking side170 enables substantially improved prevention against the persistentproblem of staining and ghosting, even when such marking substancesremain on marking side 170 for extended periods of time beyond a day orweek. Currently available products often advertise anti-stain andanti-ghosting capability, but require daily cleaning to avoid migrationand permeation of pigments from such marking substances into the markingside substrate.

In further enabling examples, superstrate 185 includes at least one ofand/or one or more of constituents such as a perfluoropolyether, apolyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and/or an acrylate resin thatis hardenable and/or may be hardened after application to and/or coatingof marking side 170. Superstrate 185 is formulated, configured, treated,adjusted, and/or modified with such constituents to have a durometerhardness when cured that exceeds approximately 80 to 95 on the Shore Dscale. In further configurations, superstrate 185 additionally includesa photoinitiator that is responsive to ultraviolet radiation, whichenables curing and hardening of superstrate 185 after application to,incorporation with, coating of, and/or joining of superstrate 185 tomarking side 170 of polyester sheet/film 165. These arrangements ofsuperstrate 185 enable further hardening of marking side 170.

In further variations, the disclosure contemplates superstrate 185 beingapplied, configured, adjusted, and/or modified to have a thickness, whenapplied, adhered, and/or joined to marking side 170 of polyester sheetor film 165, of approximately between 2 and 5 microns. In combinationwith the selection, adjustment, configuration, and/or formulation ofsuperstrate material(s) and constituents 185, enables the desireddurometer hardness of combined marking side 170 and superstrate 185 toexceed about shore D 88, 90, and/or 95 hardnesses.

Superstrate 185 is also configured, selected, adjusted, modified, and/orchemically formulated, when joined to polyester film 165, to have amaximum optical light transmission and minimum optical haze. Forpurposes of example without limitation, more specifically, Superstrate185 is adjusted, configured, and/or formulated to have a visible lighttransmission of greater than about 90% of the visible light that isincident upon the superstrate.

Superstrate 185 is also adapted, adjusted, configured, and/or formulatedto have a haze, or wide angle light scattering or diffusive effect thatdoes not exceed about 0.6%, as determined by spectrophotometricmeasurements, and according to various standard test methods. Suchconfigurations of superstrate 185 in combination with the other elementsand capabilities of erasable writable material 100 enable an improvedmarking side 170 with increased durability and resilience for dry-eraseand related activities.

One such suitable test method for superstrate 185 may include, forexample without limitation, ASTM D1003-13, entitled “Standard TestMethod for Haze and Luminous Transmittance of Transparent Plastics.” Anumber of manufacturers have available various types of substances andmaterials that may meet at least one of such capabilities of superstrate185, and if further modified according to the capabilities describedherein, may be suitable for purposes of the disclosure. Exemplaryconstituents and materials suitable for modification and subsequentmanufacturing of superstrate 185, for purposes of example, includeOptool™ DAC-HP available from Daikin Industries, Ltd., Osaka, Japan(daikin.com), and OC-3021 Hard Coating and UV curing equipment availablefrom Dymax Corporation, Torrington, Conn., USA (www.dymax.com).

The erasable writable material 100 is further directed to including arelease liner 190 that may be included to protect the adhesivesdescribed elsewhere herein. For example, release liner 190 may beutilized, for purposes of example but not to limit the describedcapabilities, to temporarily protect mount surface adhesive 135(illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) and/or seal side adhesive 180 (notshown but similarly arranged). Release liner 190 may further includematerials and substances that improve performance and preventdegradation of the adhesives 135, 180 prior to and during fabrication oferasable writable material 100.

Such materials and substances may include for example without limitationa polyethylene layer and/or coating 192 that has been treated withsilicone 195 to be siliconized, such that removal of release liner 190from the adhesives 135, 180 does not degrade, disrupt, and/or change theproperties of the adhesives 135, 180. Such releasability of releaseliner 190 is enabled by being coated with the siliconized polyethylene192, which has been demonstrated to reduce surface energy of releaseliner 190 to approximately between 24 and 33 mN/m, which preventspermanent adhesion between the adhesives 135, 180, and release liner190.

Release liner 190 can be thereby configured to protect material 100,seal side adhesive 180, and to overlay and protect mount surface 125and/or mount surface adhesive 135 and air channels 140 duringfabrication, shipment, storage, and until installation and applicationof erasable writable material 100 to a surface SURF. Many suitable typesof release liners 190 are available in the described configuration andfor example include those available from 3M Corporation and LaufenbergGmbH, Krefeld-Hüls, Germany (www.laufenberg.info), and others, whichmanufacture what are typically referred to by those having knowledge inthe field as Kraft paper release liners that are suitable for purposesof the disclosure.

With continuing reference to the various figures and precedingdescriptions, and now also to FIG. 4, methods of manufacturing erasablewritable material 100 are also described starting at step 200. Forexample, providing at step 205 calendared and/or cast the vinyl and/orpolyvinylchloride film 120 with mount surface 125 opposite etchedreceiver surface 130 that has been treated to have a receiver surfaceenergy increased to exceed approximately 38 millinewtons per meter(mN/m), to increase adherence of one or more of printed and preformedgraphic elements 155, 160.

At step 210, a transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet orfilm 165 is provided that includes a seal side 175 and an oppositemarking side 170 that has a hardness exceeding approximately shore D 79.Additionally, treating, formulating, configuring, adjusting, and/ormodifying marking side 170 is also included by application and/orincorporation of superstrate 185, such that a hardness exceedingapproximately shore D 90 is enabled, and a surface energy of the markingside is lowered below about 24 mN/m.

Further variations of the methods incorporate configuring PET sheet orfilm 165 to have a thickness of approximately 50 microns to enable thehardness exceeding about shore D 79, and configuring superstrate 185 tohave a thickness of approximately between 2 and 5 microns to enable theapproximately greater than shore D 80 hardness, and such that surfaceenergy of marking side 170 is reduced, adjusted, configured, and/orlowered to approximately between 15 and 30 mN/m to increase resilienceand durability of marking side 170, and the also increase fugitivity ofand prevent ghosting and staining by non-permanent and permanent markingsubstances applied to marking side 170.

The disclosure also includes the methods to incorporate applyingadhesive 180 to seal side 175 of polyester/PET sheet or film 165 toenable hermetic lamination to receiver surface 130 utilizing one or moreof a predetermined heat, pressure, and rolling lamination speed. Themethods also include variations that include forming superstrate 185 toinclude the UV radiation responsive photoinitiator, and one or more ofthe polyurethane, acrylated polyurethane, acrylate resin, andperfluoropolyether, which in combination enable the hardness and reducedsurface energy when irradiated with the UV radiation.

In other arrangements of the methods, configuring the superstrate 185includes incorporating an ultraviolet radiation responsivephotoinitiator, and at least one of a perfluoropolyether, apolyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and an acrylate resin, andirradiating the photoinitiator with ultraviolet radiation to hardensuperstrate 185. The methods are also directed to treating thepolyvinylchloride and/or PET film 165 to be configured to have surfaceenergy of receiver surface 130 increased to exceed approximately 38mN/m, to increase adherence of one or more of printed and preformedgraphic elements 155, 160.

The methods at step 215 further include at least one of printing andpositioning graphic elements 155, 160 on etched receiver surface 130. Atstep 220, laminating and/or joining seal side 175 to etched receiversurface 130 is accomplished to encapsulate and hermetically seal graphicelements 155, 160 between receiver surface 130 and seal side 175.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended thatthese embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather,the words used in the specification are words of description rather thanlimitation, and it is understood that various changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may becombined to form further embodiments of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An erasable writable material, comprising: aflexible vinyl film with a mount surface opposite an etched receiversurface; a transparent polyester film having a hardness exceeding shoreD 79, joined to the receiver surface about a seal side and having anopposite marking side; and a clear superstrate having a hardnessexceeding shore D 80 applied to the marking side to lower surface energybelow 24 millinewtons per meter.
 2. The erasable writable materialaccording to claim 1, comprising: the vinyl film formed from castpolyvinylchloride; the polyester film formed from polyethyleneterephthalate (PET); and the superstrate formed from one or more of anacrylate, a polyurethane, and an acrylated polyurethane.
 3. The erasablewritable material according to claim 1, comprising: the receiver surfaceadhering one or more of printed and preformed graphic elements; and thepolyester film including an adhesive applied to the seal side that is atleast one of heat and pressure activated to enable lamination joining tothe receiver surface utilizing one or more of a predetermined heat,pressure, and rolling lamination speed, such that the graphic elementsare hermetically sealed against the receiver surface.
 4. The erasablewritable material according to claim 1, comprising: the receiver surfacebeing micro-etched and having the surface energy increased to exceed 38millinewtons per meter (mN/m) before adhering of at least one of printedand graphic elements, and 45 mN/m before lamination of the polyesterfilm, by one or more of a corona discharge, primer, chemical, ozone,flame plasma, and atmospheric plasma treatment.
 5. The erasable writablematerial according to claim 1, comprising: the mount surfaceincorporating at least one of a pressure and heat activated adhesive,such that the erasable writable material is repositionable duringinstallation, until the adhesive is at least one of pressure and heatactivated.
 6. The erasable writable material according to claim 5,comprising: the mount surface adhesive incorporating air channels formedby a plurality of frangible hollow spheres dispersed throughout theadhesive, such that the air channels collapse when the spheres arebroken during one or more of the pressure and heat activation.
 7. Theerasable writable material according to claim 5, comprising: a releaseliner removably affixed to the mount surface adhesive, and being coatedwith a polyethylene that is siliconized to reduce surface energy tobetween 24 and 33 millinewtons per meter, to enable both: adherence ofthe liner to the mount surface adhesive, and removal without degradationof the mount surface adhesive.
 8. The erasable writable materialaccording to claim 1, comprising: the polyester film configured to bepolyethylene terephthalate (PET) having a thickness of 50 microns tofurther enable the hardness to exceed shore D 79; and the superstrateconfigured to have: a visible light transmission of greater than 90% anda haze not exceeding 0.6%, when joined to the polyester film and, and athickness of between 2 and 5 microns to enable the greater than shore D80 hardness; and such that marking side surface energy is reduced tobetween 15 and 30 millinewtons per meter to increase fugitivity of andprevent ghosting and staining by applied non-permanent and permanentmarking substances.
 9. The erasable writable material according to claim8, comprising: the superstrate including one or more of: an ultravioletradiation responsive photoinitiator; at least one of aperfluoropolyether, a polyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and anacrylate resin; and such that the superstrate is configured with a curedhardness exceeding shore D 88 and reduces surface energy of the markingside below 24 millinewtons per meter.
 10. The erasable writable materialaccording to claim 1, comprising: the vinyl film formed from castpolyvinylchloride and configured to have the receiver surface etched andhaving the surface energy increased to exceed 38 millinewtons per meter(mN/m); the polyester film formed from polyethylene terephthalate (PET)and including an adhesive applied to the seal side that is at least oneof heat and pressure activated to enable hermetically sealed laminationto the receiver surface utilizing one or more of a predetermined heat,pressure, and rolling lamination speed; and the superstrate including anultraviolet radiation responsive photoinitiator, and formed from one ormore of a polyurethane, acrylated polyurethane, acrylate resin, andperfluoropolyether; and such that the superstrate is configured: with acured hardness exceeding shore D 88 and to reduce surface energy of themarking side below 24 millinewtons per meter.
 11. An erasable writablematerial, comprising: a cast polyvinylchloride film with a mount surfaceopposite an etched receiver surface; a transparent polyethyleneterephthalate film having a marking side with a hardness exceeding shoreD 79 and an opposite seal side hermetically laminated to the receiversurface; and a clear superstrate having a hardness exceeding shore D 90applied to the marking side to lower surface energy below 24millinewtons per meter.
 12. The material to claim 11, comprising: thereceiver surface being configured with a surface energy exceeding 45millinewtons per meter, and adhering one or more of printed andpreformed graphic elements.
 13. The material according to claim 11,comprising: the polyethylene terephthalate film configured with athickness of 50 microns to enable the hardness exceeding shore D 79; thesuperstrate configured to have: a thickness of between 2 and 5 micronsto enable the greater than shore D 80 hardness; and such that markingside surface energy is reduced to between 15 and 30 millinewtons permeter to increase fugitivity of and prevent ghosting and staining byapplied non-permanent and permanent marking substances.
 14. The materialaccording to claim 13, comprising: the superstrate including one or moreof: an ultraviolet radiation responsive photoinitiator; at least one ofa perfluoropolyether, a polyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and anacrylate resin; and such that the superstrate is configured with a curedhardness exceeding shore D 88 and reduces surface energy of the markingside below 24 millinewtons per meter.
 15. The material according toclaim 11, comprising: the polyvinylchloride film configured to have areceiver surface energy increased to exceed 38 millinewtons per meter toincrease adherence of one or more of printed and preformed graphicelements; the polyethylene terephthalate film including an adhesiveapplied to the seal side to enable the hermetic lamination to thereceiver surface utilizing one or more of a predetermined heat,pressure, and rolling lamination speed; and the superstrate including anultraviolet radiation responsive photoinitiator, and formed from one ormore of a polyurethane, acrylated polyurethane, acrylate resin, andperfluoropolyether, to enable the hardness and reduced surface energy.16. A method of manufacturing an erasable writable material, comprising:providing polyvinylchloride film with a mount surface opposite an etchedreceiver surface; laminating to the receiver surface a seal side of atransparent polyethylene terephthalate film having an opposite markingside with a hardness exceeding shore D 80; and such that the markingside includes a clear superstrate hardened to a hardness exceeding shoreD 90 and lowering surface energy below 24 millinewtons per meter. 17.The method according to claim 16, comprising: configuring thepolyethylene terephthalate film to have a thickness of 50 microns toenable the hardness exceeding shore D 79; and configuring thesuperstrate to have: a thickness of between 2 and 5 microns to enablethe greater than shore D 80 hardness, and such that marking side surfaceenergy is reduced to between 15 and 30 millinewtons per meter toincrease fugitivity of and prevent ghosting and staining by appliednon-permanent and permanent marking substances.
 18. The method accordingto claim 16, comprising: providing the superstrate to include: anultraviolet radiation responsive photoinitiator, and at least one of aperfluoropolyether, a polyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and anacrylate resin; and the photoinitiator irradiated with ultravioletradiation to harden the superstrate.
 19. The method according to claim16, comprising: providing the polyvinylchloride film configured to havea receiver surface energy increased to exceed 38 millinewtons per meterto increase adherence of one or more of printed and preformed graphicelements; and at least one of printing and positioning the graphicelements to be hermetically sealed between the receiver surface of thepolyvinylchloride film and the seal side of the polyethyleneterephthalate film.
 20. The method according to claim 16, comprising:applying an adhesive to the seal side of the polyethylene terephthalatefilm to enable hermetic lamination to the receiver surface utilizing oneor more of a predetermined heat, pressure, and rolling lamination speed;and forming the superstrate to include an ultraviolet radiationresponsive photoinitiator, and one or more of a polyurethane, acrylatedpolyurethane, acrylate resin, and perfluoropolyether, to enable thehardness and reduced surface energy when irradiated with the ultravioletradiation.